“It hurts and I can’t move. I have diarrhea and a lot of discomfort in my stomach. I’m swollen like a balloon and my period hasn’t come down yet”. This was one of the last messages one of the women I work with sent me to make me aware of her physical condition before a training session. “Did you go to the gynecologist?” I asked. “Yes, I tell him all this at every review, but he tells me it’s normal“, answered.
Normalizing pain is common (something we should change), but it is still one of many things that hint at the lack and need for a greater gender perspective in the comprehensive approach to women’s health. More education and research is needed. Perhaps if many men suffered from some of the symptoms derived from the onset or lack of menstruation, their treatment would have advanced further or would be given the relevance it deserves.
At all ages we experience unique needs and, although it may seem like an illusion at first sight, there is a non-pharmacological procedure indicated for each of our stages: physical exercise. During the fertile period, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may appear, encompassing clinically significant somatic and psychological manifestations during pregnancy. luteal phase of the cycle.
The exact mechanism that causes PMS is still not clear. However, it is recognized that it might be associated with abnormal sensitivity and a excessive response to hormonal changes. It would occur one week before the start of menstruation in reproductive age and would decrease with the start of the period. Several researchers have found that various body systems (cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, and reproductive) may be associated with PMS.
The prevalence of reproductive age of those affected worldwide amounts to 47.8%. Among them, regarding 20% experience symptoms severe enough to interrupt their daily activities, and the rest have mild to moderate signs. Manifestations include changes in appetite, weight gain, abdominal pain, back pain, low back discomfort, headache, breast swelling and tenderness, nausea, constipation, anxiety, irritability, anger, fatigue, restlessness, and various mood changes. .
“I have demanded to be heard and, when I decide to tell it, I have the feeling that nobody is on my side. Today I will not be able to train. It hurts me. It will go away with the pill, but I have to stay on the sofa until it goes away”, my client explained to me. The morbidity associated with PMS would sometimes be poorly managed. We are all different and we feel how the body speaks in one way or another. The problem lies in putting aside “those discomforts” and not knowing how to prevent them. According to the practice bulletin of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), non-drug therapy is recommended as the main treatment. This is where physical exercise comes in, since it is considered a beneficial alternative to medications in the management of premenstrual symptoms and has been associated with improved well-being.
Pain, discomfort and movement
“I don’t move anymore because it hurts and it hurts more because I don’t move anymore”, it seems paradoxical, but it reflects a reality. Physical activity might potentially improve the hormonal profile, reproductive function, menstrual cycle regularity, ovulation, and fertility at all our ages.
Have you thought that going for a walk might reduce the discomfort of PMS? According to the findings of the review published by the journal International Journal of Women’s Health 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as swimming, walking, or running) done 3 to 5 times a week for 10 weeks may be effective in reducing the physical and psychological symptoms of PMS.
We are fluctuations in the levels of estrogen, progesterone and serotonin. The studies suggest that there is an imbalance between ovarian hormones (estrogen and progesterone). It has been found that estrogen levels rise during the premenstrual phase, with insufficient levels of progesterone to counteract it. The question would be: Can anything be done to reduce estrogen? Probably doing aerobic exercise. This term means “with oxygen”, which implies that breathing controls the amount of oxygen that can get to the muscles to help them “use fuel” and move us.
Beta-endorphin, behind the “cravings” and cramps
Have you ever felt the need to eat “sweet” or “fatty” foods? Have you had food whims that are far from your usual diet in the premenstrual period? Beta-endorphins may have something to do with those behaviors. These are substances that are produced in the brain, especially in the pituitary gland, and block the sensation of pain. They are generated in response to discomfort, exercise, and other forms of stress. These peptides exert a wide variety of effects throughout the body. As an opioid receptor agonist, they are best known for their potent analgesic effects, but they also play a role in reward-focused behaviors and in restoring homeostasis (body balance).
Magazine PLOS One would admit that plasma beta-endorphin levels decrease during the premenstrual phase and contribute to symptoms such as headache, menstrual cramps, anxiety and food cravings. Several studies, such as the one published by the journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences suggest that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise has been shown to increase circulating beta-endorphins.
Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” regulates a wide range of vital processes throughout the body, including metabolism, the immune response, and plays an important role in completing the healthy stress response circuit in the body. Premenstrual syndrome. As studies such as the one published by Stress performing aerobic exercise at an intensity of at least 60% maximal oxygen uptake capacity would lead to elevated cortisol levels for at least 2 hours followingwards. Therefore, cortisol would inhibit the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and restore homeostasis for a healthy stress response.
make it yours
The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in women of reproductive age are associated with discomfort and functional impairments. The question is: Is there a non-pharmacological treatment to combat the discomfort before the onset of the period? Aerobic exercise would seem to be a good option.
Have you considered becoming “the walking club” and managing to add aerobic activity to your day to day? The OMS recommends that adults ages 18-64 spend at least 150 minutes a week in moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. This, said like this, may seem like a lot for a sedentary person, but every step counts. Health is measured in habits, we can get add and enjoy that aerobic exercise. The secret: make it yours. Enjoy it.
- Walking can be a cheap, accessible alternative and a good start.
- Actions of daily life. Begin to carry out actions of daily life on foot, little by little, progressively. One week you can go to work parking the scooter; another to take her son to school, the next to visit a relative.
- Give yourself small challenges and associate them with a good experience (seeing a beautiful landscape or listening to music, for example) when you go for a walk, think of it as your moment. That will be the way to keep it over time and, therefore, obtain its benefits. Sustainability comes hand in hand with pleasure and implies doing things out of devotion, not out of obligation.
- You can also do it in company.
Exercise has been proven to extend life. If we also take into account that it would increase well-being and might reduce the discomfort derived from PMS, it would mean that by being active we can live longer and better. That being said, welcome to the “walking club”.
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